The Carlos Toraño Noventa is a cigar I’ve been meaning to smoke for years, but for one reason or another, never got around to it. So when I saw a special on a fiver of them on one of the many cigar websites out there, I bit. And with so many reviews lately focusing on the most recent cigar releases, I thought it’d be fun to shake things up a bit with a look at one that’s been out there for a while. Long enough, perhaps, that you may have forgotten about it.
In case you haven’t already heard the story, the Noventa (Spanish for “ninety”) line was released in 2006 to commemorate the Toraño family’s 90 years in the cigar business, spanning four generations. The original press release, that Brian the Torano rep on twitter was good enough to forward me, informs us:
The medium- to full-bodied cigar comes in three shapes: Santiago (5 x 50), La Esperanza (6 x 52), and Latin (6-1/4 x 54). The names symbolize landmarks for the Toraño family: Santiago, the founding of the company; La Esperanza, the family’s principal tobacco farm in Cuba; and Latin, the current family-owned cigar business. Noventa is presented in cedar boxes of 25 cellophaned cigars that are, according to Toraño, “stunningly beautiful.”
Now let’s get down to business.
Cigar Stats:
Size: 6 1/2 x 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaragua (Pueblo Nuevo, Jalapa, Condega and Esteli)
Smoking Time: 2 hours
Beverage: Water
Source: Purchased by reviewer
Price: ~$13.20 ($12 original MSRP)
The Pre-Smoke
The Noventa Latin is a very nice looking torpedo, with its light reddish brown wrapper, fine veins and a striking band. Other than the occasional small dark spot, or stray flecks of tobacco stuck to the wrapper (there were a surprising amount of those flecks), there were no cosmetic flaws to be found.
The cigars were firmly packed with tobacco and had a consistently dense feeling to the touch. The lovely wrapper had the usual compost aroma, but also had some similarities to the smell of a hoppier beer, like an IPA. The cold draw was good, and had a little creamy sweetness to it.
The Burn
For the most part, Noventa Latin burned very well. Good draw, solid, light gray ashes and even burn lines. But there was the occasional need for a touchup. One stick required numerous crooked burn corrections, and that particular stick had a flakier ash than the rest.
The Flavor
Ordinarily, I’d break this section up into thirds, but with the Noventa, I just didn’t find enough variation from one third to the next to call for it. The flavor profile was a pretty consistent creamy nut and earth one, with hints of cedar and spice. Earlier on in the cigar, there was a little sweetness and a floral component to the cedar. And as the cigar progressed, I began to notice that the cigar had some power to it, and the spice warmed the back of my mouth. Also worthy of mention is the long finish, that frequently featured sweet flavors like honey and caramel, even when those weren’t present in the initial puffs.
The Price
The world looks a little different now than it did in 2006. The economy is a little shaky and SCHIP has tacked on another buck and change to price of these already spendy cigars. There’s a lot of quality tobacco, artfully combined to make the Noventa, but it’s still a hard sell.
The Verdict
The Noventa is a very good smoke, with a lot of refined flavor and a lingering finish that will treat you right if you take your time with it. That being said, it could be too much of the same good thing. Around the time I bought these torpedos, I also smoked the shorter, robusto-sized Santiago, and I think if I were to buy more, I’d probably go with the Santiago. If you haven’t tried the Noventa yet, you really should, it is a great cigar, no matter what size you choose, and it’s still pretty widely available.
Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: Yes, I think I would, just not very often.
Recommend It: Yes
Tower of Burn
Here for your viewing pleasure is my trademark Tower of Burn.
Brian,
I wasn’t aware that these were still in production. I remember thinking the Noventa was, hands down, the best Torano product when I tried it in 2006. They were pricey then so I can only imagine what they cost these days.
Well done
Thanks, I didn’t think they were either, but I’m told that they are still in production.
Nice review. I have not tried these yet but recently ordered a five pack on an auction site at a ridiculous discount to MSRP. So the MSRP is probably a little misleading …
I’d say it’s the auction sites that are misleading. Ordinarily, sticks show up on those sites when the company needs to clear out some product (or occasionally with new stuff to encourage people to try it). If you find these in your local shop, you’ll probably pay something close to the listed MSRP. And even if you order them from a non-auction online retailer, you’re still going to pay something closer to MSRP than the auction price.
You never know how much a product might be discounted and for how long, which makes discussion of price difficult if you don’t use the manufacturers suggested retail. Auctions might be an accurate statement as to what customers think a cigar is currently worth, but once the cigars are no longer up for auction, it isn’t useful information. (And this vitola doesn’t appear to be up for auction at the moment.)
Brian — all good points, and I certainly wasn’t suggesting you were misleading anyone by stating the MSRP. I just wanted to point out for people interested in the smoke that they can be found at a relatively inexpensive price. My five pack of Santiagos, the vitola you recommend, was $9 at auction. Also, a five-pack at CI (non-auction) is $24 — closer to the auction price than the MSRP.
I just got 2 fivers in a couple of weeks ago. I paid $30 for both.
As far as Im concerned Brian.You can have the 8 sticks that are left.
I must say I was not a fan at all.
Thanks For The Great Reviews.
Same thoughts here. They’re JUNK
They are on sale at Cigar International for just $99 a box of any size. I smoke the robusto size. It was not a great cigar but it is a good everyday smokes.
Very nice post!
Smoking one right now and I think they are a mediocre cigar. It has a sage bitterness that by itself is not appealing but with a hoppy beer it’s surprisingly nice.
Otherwise I would say pass on this cigar.
Just picked a box of these up from cigarbid.com, got em for 60 bucks!! I’m excited to smoke them!!
I picked up a box (humi quality) of the Santiago on CI w/ a Fortress fiver included, making the deal 30 sticks for $65, delivered; I feel like I should be doing cartwheels in my living room; hope they live up to press.
I just got a box for $40 from CI. Saw mixed reviews but at $2 a pop can you really go wrong
Looking forward to a 2 hour break tomorrow
I remember these from a sampler I picked up. Very nice and even better with a beer.
When I saw the sale I jumped on them, picking up a box of robustos and a box of the Santiagos.
Total cost to me, $80.00.
A steal and after a few months a Humidor, a major robbery.
This cigar will throw at you cedar, some pepper, what I think is a creamy nuttiness and earth.
It shows these from the 1st inch to the nub.
It’s got some power but, not enough to mess with your golf swing, which is good.
Will be one of my golf smokes for sure.
If you can grab some, by all means get them before they are gone.
They 1st came out at $220.00 a box so look hard and you will find them on a steal.
I give them 4 out of 5 stars.
Bought a 25ct box of Santiagos from CI, $36USD, free shipping. I’m not sure how old they are but very dry when received. Smoked one out of the box, tasted like the way burning paper smells. Slightly acrid/sour aftertaste. Uneven burn, medium hard draw. Even after the first inch, the wrapper was still flaky, the draw didn’t improve with handling. I tossed it at the halfway point due to lack of interest. The second smoke was an experiment. I exposes the cigar to 90% plus humidity for 24 hours before lighting up. The wrapper was less brittle, the draw was slightly better but not much. The same for the taste. Twenty three more left to smoke. Maybe time in the humidor will help but I wouldn’t bet on it. I’ll keep a few long term but the others will mostly be giveaways. These probably pair well with cheap beer. In conclusion, I’m glad to get away with this mistake for only $35., it could have been worse. It’s been over ten years since I bought something crappy from CI but it’s still disapointing.